Fashion constantly changes, with many trends returning over time. Yet, some items, like the high heel pad, tend to be forgotten.
The High Heel Pad Offered Crucial Support
The high heel pad, familiar to many women from earlier generations, is a small foam or gel insert placed in the heel of a shoe. It helped prevent blisters and made long days or nights in heels much more comfortable for women’s feet.
The High Heel Pad’s Life-Changing Role
Although women today tend to choose more casual and comfortable shoes, our mothers, grandmothers, and great-grandmothers often wore heels—even while managing household chores, raising children, and working long hours as more women joined the workforce.
The High Heel Pad Through the Ages
The high-heel pad remains a clever and useful accessory for women who enjoy dressing up, and it’s still available today. However, it’s just one of many fashion items that have become nearly unknown to the younger generation.
The Overlooked Vintage Label
Many vintage brands that were once highly sought after have now faded into obscurity. Take Gunne Sax, for example, founded in San Francisco in 1967, known for its romantic prairie, Victorian, and Renaissance-inspired designs. Notably, Hillary Clinton wore a Gunne Sax wedding dress when she married Bill Clinton in 1975. Although the brand no longer exists, its timeless pieces remain prized among vintage collectors. However, its popularity has declined, and most women today are unlikely to recognize the name.
Reputation
Another brand that has largely been forgotten but may still ring a bell is Caché, which was founded in Miami in 1976. Originally focused on formalwear, the company soon broadened its range to include trendy casualwear, gaining major popularity throughout the 1990s and early 2000s. However, by 2015, the excitement had faded, and Caché filed for bankruptcy, shutting down its remaining stores.
The Iconic Henri Bendel
Another well-known brand, Henri Bendel, operated for over a century before shutting down its retail stores and website in 2019. Nowadays, pre-owned purses and accessories from the brand typically sell for anywhere from $60 to several hundred dollars.
Updated Features
Younger generations probably don’t recall when Henri Bendel was a fashion powerhouse. Naturally, fashion evolves with every new generation and trend. Although many styles make a comeback, they’re usually updated and customized to align with today’s modern tastes.
Fashion That Stands the Test of Time
Additionally, vintage fashion pieces remain highly coveted and timeless. Thankfully, high heels don’t quite fall into that category, so fewer women today require high-heel pads. Still, women’s fashion is vast and intricate, with footwear representing just a small fraction. Here’s a brief overview of women’s footwear across the generations.
The Story of Women’s Footwear in Brief
Allegedly, footwear dates back to around 3500 BC, when women wore sandals crafted from woven reeds or leather. These were practical for warm climates, offering protection from sharp rocks, sticks, and weapon tips. In ancient Egypt, women donned shoes with elaborate designs made from papyrus leaves and leather, symbolizing their social status. It wasn’t until medieval Europe that women began wearing heels, which eventually led to the need for high-heel pads.
Choosing Practicality Over Comfort
Heels were originally designed for practical purposes, providing riders with better stability in stirrups. Soon after, they became a symbol of aristocracy and remained fashionable women’s footwear well into the late 1990s and early 2000s. Nowadays, women’s shoes come in a wide variety of styles—from elegant high heels to slip-ons, sneakers, and sandals.
The choices seem endless, and luckily, not all require high-heel pads to get through the day or night. Instead, gel or foam insoles offer extra cushioning and support for tired, achy feet, helping women stay comfortable and energized throughout their busy days.
